Today I went to a special event for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. It was very similar to the ones Ford has had and GM had back in 2005 where they went around the US allowing customers to experience their products on a closed course. I was extremely impressed with the event. I wish the track was longer, but what can you do lol. Anyway, it was exclusively for the new Genesis Coupe and I was excited to test out this new performance coupe from Hyundai, especially after hearing so many great things about it and personally blogging about it for months. The event was small, but had plenty to offer, even more then I thought. First off, they had the Red Bull Drift Competition Genesis Race car that has been used for drifting, and that placed 1st in its 2wd class at this passed weekends Pikes Peak Hill Climb. So first thing you see when you walk into the tent is this and good job on their part for showing what the Genesis is really about. As an enthusiast I fully support and applaud them for marketing this car as a performance drivers car, and stepping in to include it in as many race programs as possible. I did not have a chance to register online so I wasnt sure if they'd let me in, but they had no problem at all and welcomed me and my mom...yes I went with my mom, and she drove too lol. She drives a Santa Fe after all. Anyway, waiting in line was very short. I tried out both the 2.0L Turbo and the 3.8L V6, unfortunately since I don't drive stick they only had a base model Turbo there without the track pack. So I wasnt able to see the full potential of the turbo but still for a base car, it still was a good ride and you could have plenty of fun in it. Turbo noise is basically no-resistant and I really didn't notice lag at all. In both models, the automatics shifted nicely and quickly, I didnt feel that it was horrible and slow to shift, especially in the turns. I tried out the sport mode manual shift as well, and it worked nicely. Its not as fast as some others out there, but it was not slow at all and I could tell it was tuned for performance. The 3.8L with the track pack was a different animal though, it was great, it was very quick and it handle much better then the 2.0L Turbo, although I'm sure if it was a track pack turbo it would of handled better because of the lighter front end. A track turbo was on site but it was a stick. BTW, traction control was turned off on all of the cars lol....Awesome. The 3.8L was a great ride and definitely something to look at if you weren't planning on modding.

The Track pack is truly a great deal, for the money I can't think of a better bargin. You get 4 pot brembo brakes, 19inch alloys with bridgestone pontenza's summer tires, limited slip diff, sport suspension, aero kit, HID headlights and a few other options. For 2000 dollars more on the 3.8 and 2500 on the 2.0L Turbo, that is one hell of a deal, especially since the first 3 things on the options list, brembos, suspension and lsd would probably cost that much if not more. Of course you get the other list of standard features that Hyundai puts on their products, especially safety. Traction control, ESC, ABS and brake assist all come standard. I almost forgot, the seats were awesome. Amazing sport seats from the factory, very supportive on both the bottom and the sides. No sliding at all.

Ok so the part of the event that I didnt expect. Only a select few get to go and I was lucky enough to be one of them. One of the instructors take you out and you can either go in the donut circle or around the track. No you don't get to drive but its something different that I never experienced before, especially at one of these driving events. Gm certainly didnt have this, both Ford and them had mph signs and told you not to go over a certain speed...not to mention non of them turned of traction control lol. So I was taken out in the 3.8L V6 Track and the instructor did a bunch of donuts. Maybe nothing too special, but at this event it was, and since it was my first donut ever. Instead of going back, he drove to the start of the track, which he wasnt suppose to do but I guess I got lucky. He lit up the tires and gunned it down the straight and then drifted around the rest of the track. It was awesome. I felt like I was in that commercial, only difference was that I was in a blue one instead of a yellow one. Which the blue color is awesome.

Again I have been very impressed with Hyundai and their progress over the years, and the Genesis Coupe and what they have done with it in such a short time just tops it off. The event was great, and more then I expected it to be. The staff were knowledgeable and very friendly. I was very happy the Hyundai stuck to what this car is about and didn't water down the experience by having a half ass track and telling you to slow down or anything. A few people actually spun out, and they were totally ok with that, but of course they were...they turned off the traction control lol. The donuts and the drifting just made the experience even better. I know a lot of people on this forum and out there amongst the general public still look at Hyundai as a bottom of the tier brand and not worth anyone's time. But as I've been saying for the past year, they have truly come along way, and I think they can hang with just about any company now, even the premium luxury brands. The Genesis lineup are great products and I would recommend both to anyone. Not to mention for as much fun as I had in the Genesis coupe...their 10 year/100,000 Mile warranty sounds pretty good.